Inflammation is part of the complex biological response of vascular tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants. Inflammation is a protective attempt by the organism to remove the injurious stimuli and to initiate the healing process.
It is characterized by fenestration of the microvasculature, leakage of the elements of blood into the interstitial spaces, and migrant of leukocytes into the inflamed tissue. On a macroscopic level, this is usually accompanied by the familiar clinical signs of erythem, edema, hyperalgesia, and pain.
Without inflammation, wounds and infections would never heal. Similarly, progressive destruction of the tissue would compromise the survival of the organism. However, chronic inflammation can also lead to a host of diseases, such as hay fever, atherosclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and even cancer (e.g., gallbladder carcinoma). It is for that reason that inflammation is normally closely regulated by the body.
L. Coussens et al. in “Inflammation and cancer”, Nature 2002, vol. 420, pp. 860-867 describe that cancer is a condition related to inflammation. Recent data have expanded the concept that inflammation is a critical component of tumour progression. Many cancers arise from sites of infection, chronic irritation and inflammation. It is now becoming clear that the tumour microenvironment, which is largely orchestrated by inflammatory cells, is an indispensable participant in the neoplastic process, fostering proliferation, survival and migration.
In short, the inflammatory response causes much of the physical discomfort that has come to be associated with different diseases and injuries. It is known the administration of pharmacological agents that reduce the physical discomfort of the inflammatory response. Anti-inflammatory drugs are used for the treatment of a wide spectrum of disorders and the same drug is often used to treat different diseases. Treatment with anti-inflammatory drugs is not for the disease, but most often for the symptom.
Eggs, in particular hen's eggs, have been the subject of intensive chemical, biochemical and food technological research for many decades, because of its importance in human nutrition and it importance as a source of proteins. It is also known the use of egg products for the treatment of several disorders associated to inflammation.
EP0904090 describes an anti-inflammatory composition produced in natural foodstuff, particularly in egg products. The anti-inflammatory activity was found in a fraction isolated from both egg yolk and egg white of an egg.
CA2197050 describes an use of fertilized incubated shell eggs in the treatment and prevention of cancer.
WO0191777 describes a drug consisting of activated protein compounds obtained using a process involving heating, precipitation and purification of a mixture containing yolk and white of an egg, and pine resin rosin or pine needle oil, as well as its use in the treatment of tuberculosis, various cancers and other inflammatory diseases.
Finally, WO2009115429 describes a food preparation and pharmaceutical composition containing an embryonic extract and its uses in several disorders related to inflammation, in particular, it is described its use for the prevention of skin dryness, prevention of hair loss, stimulation of the defences indicated to combat infections or parasitic diseases in dogs and cats, treatment of cancer, as well as its use as regenerating agent, anti-degenerative agent or anti-inflammatory agent.
From what is known in the art, it is derived that the use of natural products such as egg preparations is of great interest in the field of medicine to treat disorders associated with inflammation. Thus, the provision of an improved egg preparation to treat several disorders related to inflammation would be still of great interest in the industry.